Opening a ‘whole world’ for a patient with autism

When a patient arrived with an unusual referral to the outpatient rehabilitation clinic at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital, Carly Van Tine quickly picked up on several behaviors, such as lack of eye contact and difficulty with speech.

An occupational therapist specializing in neurology, Van Tine first made sure the patient felt supported. Then she asked if the patient had considered whether she might have autism. Soon, for the first time in the patient’s nearly 30 years, she would feel she wasn’t alone.

“Usually, autism is diagnosed in school-age years,” Van Tine said. “The poor gal had no real support or resources. A poor sense of well-being, a lack of self-worth.”

Once the patient was formally diagnosed, a variety of resources became available to help her. She could receive advocacy and access to reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as help with social skills, regulating emotions and sensory difficulties.

“With so much of a support base, she’s going back to school for something she always wanted,” Van Tine said. “It’s completely life-changing.”

The patient shared with Van Tine a poem she wrote about feeling empowered by what she has learned during her therapy sessions. Monica Ellis, a speech-language pathologist with the clinic, said Van Tine “went way above and beyond” to help this patient.

“Carly not only opened the door to this patient getting answers and a whole new understanding of herself, but Carly also accompanied her to the local autism resource fair on her day off to ensure this patient felt safe in the face of a new environment and could tap into critical local resources,” Ellis said. “Now that is equity in action. This event was a game-changer for our patient, and it has clearly opened up her whole world.”

Ellis, who has collaborated with Van Tine caring for the patient, added that the patient has a “renewed sense of identity, hope, community, and much less ‘aloneness’ in her heart.”

Before her current profession, Van Tine was a neuropsychology technician with UCHealth. Opportunities to support patients after their diagnoses inspired her to enroll in graduate school to become an occupational therapist. She now sees many adult, neuro-diverse patients.

“I am really excited to hone in on this population,” she said. “It’s fun to see a different perspective of the world, and to be able to help them from my perspective. This is my dream job.”